Sunday, April 28, 2013

The real estate story line. This was the most interesting part of episode five. Peggy's interactions with the real estate agent felt real. There were lots of great details like the reference to the Second Ave. subway that was going to be built soon and add value to the Upper East Side, where Peggy was looking.

Pete's squabble with Harry in the office about the murder of Martin Luther King, Jr. Who knew that Pete would come out on the side of being sensitive? That scene produced the most tension in a slow-moving, dark hour.

The awkward way the executives dealt with the black subordinates after the death of MLK. The scenes weren't long, but they were powerful.

Why Mad Men Episode 5 (Season 6) Didn't Work:

The death of Martin Luther King. The show handled this in heavy-handed manner that felt more like a history lesson than a piece of television drama.

Michael Ginsberg and his father. Oy vey. A hornet's nest of cliches and bad Yiddish accents. And what's with the blind date with the school teacher?

Betty. When she's on the screen, take a two-minute bathroom break. I guarantee nothing's going to happen.

Don. Since when did he turn into the Dark Knight? He moped through the entire episode.

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Overall Grade for Mad Men Episode 5 (Season 6):

D. This could have been one of the Mad Men's finest episodes ever. Instead, this episode focusing on the aftermath of the death of Martin Luther King suffered from poor writing, few if any interesting plot points, and slow pacing.